Since this is the first message I have been able to get out to you thus far this year, I will first say “Happy New Year!” And because of the inaugural activities that occurred earlier this week, I will say “Happy New Day and New Beginning!” I am excited about this time we are living in and excited about its possibilities. I am declaring and decreeing that this will be OUR BEST YEAR YET!!!!! How do I say that when we are in the midst of so many economic challenges? I learned years ago that the best way to predict the future is always to create it! I believe we must make a commitment to create the lives we desire. It will be challenging and it will be tough, but it is up to us. And remember, it is through the struggles of life that we grow. Now is the time for us to grow… and create the lives that we dream of living!

On Tuesday the 20th of January, I was honored to stand on the grounds of the Washington Monument and witness the swearing in of Barack Obama. It was an incredible experience as I stood with two million of my new closest friends (did you see me wave at you folks? ?). Anyway, I learned as a speaker that there are times when we must give detailed policy points, and there are times when we must reach people at their point of need. President Obama spoke to people at their point of need: the need for hope and for inspiration! We all need inspiration. Inspiration is taken from the Greek word to “breathe anew.” And we all need inspiration to pursue new ideas and new possibilities. His speech moved us all on the Washington Mall, and many of us were in tears and were holding hands with complete strangers. It was an electric moment and one that I will never forget!

As I stood there, I realized that words have a powerful impact on our lives. Tiny words, yet they can transform us and transcend situations and circumstances. I want to offer you some words today that I hope will inspire and encourage you. I want to share a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that never ceases to inspire me. Dr. King talked about how we should pursue excellence in all that we do; and in doing so, we can impact our destiny. He said, “If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of Heaven and Earth will pause to say, “Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well!”

We stand at a time when there is great hope and optimism. Yet, it is up to us to make the most of this moment and to take advantage of all the opportunities that are available to us. However, wherever there are opportunities, there will also be challenges. I pray that we will not only be fit and able to meet those challenges, but we’ll be able to conquer those challenges and move on to greater levels of success. I love the quote by Jim Rhone “Don’t wish that the problem were smaller, wish that you were bigger!” I wish that we will also grow and stretch this year beyond what we thought we could.

So I encourage you to pursue excellence this year. Make the commitment to get better each and every day. Do all you can, with all you can…and make the most of the gifts and abilities you have been given! I truly believe that this is going to be a great year because you will make it a great year! I believe there is greatness within you, so go full throttle to develop that greatness. Don’t buy into the doom and gloom and bad news about the economy. Yes, it’s tough out there. But tough times don’t last…tough people do! Keep fighting for your dreams and goals. I truly believe that your best is yet to come!